You can extend the capabilities of Source by adding new component models or data processing tools. Some of these "plugin" tools extend Source’s user interface, or add additional steps to the Geographic Wizard. Other plugins, especially those written by third parties, may look and operate differently from the normal user interface.
Plugins are files which have a .DLL or .EXE extension, and work with specific versions of Source. Plugins that are external to Source, and must be downloaded from the Internet, must be handled differently. Refer to Externally created plugins for more information..
There are several plugins included with Source that have been verified by the Source development team. This documentation is only developed and maintained for these included plugins. Table 1 provides plugin file and location details of plugins that are discussed in more detail.
Table 1. Plugins
Plugin | Plugin file | Location in Source |
---|---|---|
Contributor | C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.Contributor.dll | Tools » Plugins | Contributor Contributor
GWLag Plugin | C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.PerfectGWLag.dll | Tools » Plugins | <various related folders>
River Analysis Package | C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.RAP.dll | |
Spatial data pre-processor | C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.SpatialDataPreProcessor.dll | Tools » Plugins | RiverSystem.Plugins.SpatialDataPreProcessor
Working with the Plugin manager
The Plugin manager allows you to install, load and manage all plugins in Source. Available via
, this dialog (shown in Figure 1) shows:- Manually installed plugins; and
- Online plugins - auto-populated from the online store hosted by eWater. Any available upgrades are automatically processed and the latest version of the plugin will appear when you open the Plugin Manager.
The Details panel in the Plugin Manager shows the following:
- Version - a four-digit number used to uniquely identify which version of Source the plugin was compiled against; and
- Tags - the version of Source the plugin can be opened in.
Manually installed plugins
When installing plugins in Source, you must have administrator access on your computer. Plugins that are installed as part of Source are located in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins
where:
<Source version> refers to the version of Source currently in use.
To load a plugin using the Plugin Manager, click Browse... to select the plugin and click OK. Source will automatically install it.
Figure 1. Plugin manager
Upgrading plugins
If there is a new version of the plugin available, you will be notified in the Plugins Manager, and prompted to update it.
Writing your own plugins
To write your own plugins using .NET and C#, refer to Source plugins.
When you install Source, instructions for writing your own plugins are included in the following location (depending on your operating system). It also contains a series of templates to help you get started.
Operating system | Standard plugin location |
---|---|
Windows XP | C:\Program Files\<Source version>\Plugins\ExamplePlugins.zip |
Windows 7 | C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\ExamplePlugins.zip |
If you boot Windows from a different hard disk drive or have otherwise customised your installation, you should make the necessary adjustments.
Please consult your system administrator if local security policies prevent you from accessing this package.
Externally created plugins
For plugins that have been developed externally to Source (such as DERMTools), you must manually unblock them in Windows after downloading. By default, Windows blocks the execution of programs downloaded from the internet (including the .dlls used as Source plugins) in order to reduce the risk of the computer being infected by a virus or some other form of malicious software.
Once downloaded, open as follows:
- Right click on the dll file in Explorer and choose Properties; and
- In the resulting dialog (shown in Figure 3), click Unblock at the bottom of the screen, then OK.
The plugin can then be loaded as normal in Source.
Figure 3. Unblocking external plugins